Working in early childhood education and pre-school
OAJ is a trade union that teachers and managers in early childhood education and preschool education can call their own.
We want to ensure the professional success and wellbeing of every teaching and management professional working in early childhood education and preschool education whilst also ensuring that they know their rights and obligations.
Benefits and services for members
As an OAJ member, you are part of the ECE Teachers’ Union community
Early childhood education teachers are members of OAJ through the Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Union (ECE Teachers’ Union).
OAJ and ECE are expert organisations in early childhood education that work for the benefit of those working in teaching and management roles in early childhood education, and they also work to promote children’s rights and the appreciation for early childhood education.
Go to Early Childhood Education Teachers Union of Finland (ECE Teachers Union) website
We are your advocates
Together, we can achieve a lot. We are the only trade union that has, for example, called for the transfer of the collective agreements for early childhood education teachers, special needs teachers and ECEC centre managers under education sector agreements.
We achieved this goal, and early childhood education teachers moved under the scope of the teacher agreement, or municipal collective agreement for the education sector, in 2021.
Our goals
Teachers are a key factor in the quality and effectiveness of early childhood education. Over the decades, a shortage of early childhood education teachers has been allowed to arise.
As a result, early childhood education has a huge educational deficit. It must be ensured that 1,400 early childhood education teachers can be trained at universities annually at least until 2030, whilst also ensuring the quality of their education.
Special needs support must be regulated so that there is always a special needs teacher in a group with a child or children in need of special support, and the special needs teacher must always be involved in assessing the need for support.
In addition, the dimensioning of special needs teachers in early childhood education (1:100) and preschool education (1:50) and the right of children to small and special groups must be provided for in the legislation. A clear legislative basis is also needed for situations concerning physical restraint.
The experiment of free early childhood education for 5-year-olds, which preceded the ongoing two-year preschool education experiment, increased children’s participation in early childhood education. Participation increased particularly in lower middle-income families.
With the reform, the entire age group would be directed to preschool education, including those 5-year-olds who are currently, more often others, excluded from early childhood education due to being in home care with a younger sibling.
High-quality early childhood education must also be ensured for those participating in early childhood education on a part-time basis. Constantly changing groups do not support the child’s optimal growth and learning.
The continuity of children’s friendships, play and learning is best achieved when the children participate in the activities regularly. The ratio of 1:13 for part-time schooled children must be removed.